Some Old Table Knives

I just bought four old table knives at a flea market. Thin steel with wooden handles pinned on. They are a bit rusty but not terrible, they say, "Barton and Scott Sheffield." I am sure they are not valuable but they might be nice to use camping. I have searched the net but find no reference to that maker. I will post some pictures when I have daylight. Any thoughts on how I could find out how old they are?

Ive rehandled old kitchen knives with bone , antler , and wood for some very nice belt knives

My old muskrat knife was a 50 cent swap meet find,
I would give $20 to have another like it

Just a plain Jane pairing knife of mild steel, forged, It would take a razor's edge in 20 seconds and hold it through a raccoon skinning.

I think it had a death in the long grass.....That is to say, it went missing like so many of my tools, at about the time my boys started "fixing" their bikes always it seemed in the long grass where dads tools go to die

These seem a bit thin for a field knife but I think they would make nice table knives. Any opinions on dates?

Also - I'd like to remove the rust with fine sandpaper and then buff them. I'd be careful not to destroy the manufacturer's marks. Any advice? How would I prevent rust once they are polished (seeking a non-toxic rust preventative).

cheese cloth rubbed with a little bit of olive oil, wrap the knives when not in use. :idunno:

I've made some patch knives and skinning knives from files and purchased blades. These will be tableware, that is already decided. I am just curious if they are appropriate to a certain era.

Vinegar patina will help with rust, kinda like bluing a firearm but nontoxic.

I call them snuff knives,that's what my grandad used when he buttered his lip with snuff..LOL he would stick one of those in the jar pull out a blade full and stick in his mouth and butter up.Then light a pipe and pop a cork on a half pint of course after his ceegar went out.I ain't kiddin niether :haha: There would be so much smoke sometimes we could barely see grandma at the other end of the table they sat at and it was a small table~

pondoro said:

I just bought four old table knives at a flea market. Thin steel with wooden handles pinned on. They are a bit rusty but not terrible, they say, "Barton and Scott Sheffield." I am sure they are not valuable but they might be nice to use camping. I have searched the net but find no reference to that maker. I will post some pictures when I have daylight. Any thoughts on how I could find out how old they are?

Click to expand...

try this site
Sheffield Cutlers Records

You could probably just stick the blades in a pot of boiling water and turn the rust black.

Wrap wet rags around the wood handles.

Just an opinion, but I'd say those guys are really old, judging by the shape and thinness of the handles. Probably 1800's, possibly even 1700's. Let's hear from someone who knows more about historic tableware. Nice find!

pondoro said:

These seem a bit thin for a field knife but I think they would make nice table knives. Any opinions on dates?

Click to expand...

I don't believe your knives are tableware, which usually has the handle(s) set more towards the center of the blade (below) than your knives do.

This set of tableware is marked:

FREDx WILSON & CO
HATTON WORKS
SHEFFIELD





IMO, what you have are several carving knives (as in: roast carving) - IOW, a kitchen utensil, like a butcher's knife.


.

They seem small for carving knives - blades are 5-3/4" long, and thin. Only 0.090 at the spine near the handle, 0.030 thick at the tip. The shape is right for a carving knife though.

pondoro said:

They seem small for carving knives - blades are 5-3/4" long, and thin. Only 0.090 at the spine near the handle, 0.030 thick at the tip. The shape is right for a carving knife though.

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Call them antique Cornish Hen or pigeon or grouse carving knives and be done with it! :wink: :rotf:

If they don't say Hand Hammered or something similar, then you can assume that a really old knife is pre-1880's. It was assumed that all knives were hand hammered before that time and after the 1880's it became a marketing gimmick to mention the hand made option.

dont use sandpaper or any abrasive for the rust. Use "Naval Jelly" jel from the hardware store. It will dissolve the rust easily. I would be cautious holding any wetness against the wood for any period. That is a classic way to swell and split the handles/grips.

Knives like this are great at rendezvous if you are eating at a table, in my area.